cosi-fan-tutte – devizine.com

by Ian Diddams
photos by Gail Foster

Devizes based White Horse Opera has a fine and longstanding tradition of a touring opera – a show taken the length and breadth of Wiltshire (and even further!) performed at various village halls, theatres and churches as venues. Recent past operas have included “Die Fledermaus”, “The Mikado” and Ruddigore” and their latest offering is Mozart’s slightly bonkers “Cosi Fan Tutte”. On Friday last the dress rehearsal was produced for the “Friends of W.H.O.” another of their traditions where the great and the good gather to indulge in swathes of cheesy comestibles and stunning music.

Mozart penned his Italian language piece in the 1780s when he was in his thirties. It’s a comedy, albeit arguably somewhat a chauvinist one leaning heavily as it does on the alleged capriciousness of women – the title loosely translated as “Women are like that”. The basic daft premise – like all the best highbrow theatre of course – revolves around the unlikely disguising beyond recognition of two men (Guglielmo and Ferrando) such that their betrothed (Fiordiligi and Dorabella) will not recognise them, and so the farcical consequences may then ensue. Naturally there has to be some ne’re do wells that first set up this unlikely scenario (Don Alfonso) and abet it (Despina).

The flirtatious and easily swayed girls are played by Barbara Gompels and Paula Boyagis, who in the duets in particular sweetly complement each other. Regular watchers of W.H.O.’s performances will need no further introduction to this talented pair, as indeed they will need no further introduction to Jon Paget who played Guglielmo, more than ably twinned by Robert Felstead as Ferrando as the pair of soldiers tasked by Don Alfonso played by the evergreen Lewis Cohen to trick their girlfriends in being unfaithful as part of a wager. Toni Johnstone completed the cast as the superbly independent and uncowed maid Despina. Jon and Robert proved an excellent comedy double act throughout their shenanigans, culminating in the wonderful disguises as what appeared to be two 1980s Australian cricketers off to the disco!

As a dress rehearsal as expected the show was ready to roll – a couple of small hiccoughs for sure but nothing to distract from the hilarious mayhem on stage. It’s a modern setting costume wise, and the set as befits a touring opera where complex arrangements are problematical, is simple … a lovely backdrop setting the countryside setting by the inimitable Chrissie Higgs, who is also set to share the role of Despina when on tour.

For those concerned that an Italian language opera will be incomprehensible to their Anglo-Saxon ears, fear ye not… as ever W.H.O.s operas are sung in English, this translation by the much missed Graham Billing who having translated the opera once, then lost it, and had to redo it. The entire translation was full of clearly identified Billingisms in the jokes whether sung or spoken. His legacy lives on and aren’t we all lucky that it does.

No opera of course is complete without its orchestra, and as so often for W.H.O. the orchestra of twenty as writ by Mozart is manfully represented by Tony James on the piano, and all pulled together by Roland Melia as M.D. par excellence. Stage Direction by Lewis Cohen completes the crew.

The tour begins soon in November in Market Lavington, but is also due to visit Bremhill, Hilperton, Winsley and Devizes in 2025, with other dates being announced all the while. And if you would wish W.H.O. to visit your local venue, maybe as a fund raiser for a local cause etc, feel free to contact them on who-enquiries@hotmail.co.uk